Yorkshire Triumphs Over Durham with Chohan’s Five-Wicket Haul

Yorkshire 108 for 3 defeated Durham 107 (Chohan 5-14) by seven wickets.

Leg-spinner Jafer Chohan celebrated his 22nd birthday with a maiden five-wicket haul, propelling Yorkshire to a vital seven-wicket victory against Durham at Headingley. Chasing a modest target of 108, the win significantly bolstered their Vitality Blast quarter-final aspirations.

Chohan’s impressive 5 for 14 from 3.4 overs decimated Durham, who were bowled out for 107 in under 17 overs. He wreaked havoc in the 15th over, reducing Durham from 96 for 5 to 97 for 9 on a challenging pitch. Despite Durham reaching three figures, it wasn’t enough to avoid their fifth loss in 11 matches. Yorkshire comfortably chased down the target with 3.2 overs to spare, with Adam Lyth leading the way, hitting two sixes in his 30 runs.

Durham, starting the overcast evening in fourth place in the North Group, dropped out of quarter-final contention with this loss. Their top scorer, Ben Raine, contributed 33 runs. Meanwhile, the Vikings broke a three-game losing streak, securing their fifth win in 11 matches. A win against Lancashire tomorrow could propel them into the top four.

Chohan, a South Asian Cricket Academy product, returned from a broken right thumb to make a significant impact. Yorkshire’s bowlers set the tone early, taking three wickets during the six-over power play. Offspinner Dom Bess dismissed Durham captain Alex Lees for 2 in the second over, followed by Dan Moriarty catching Ollie Robinson. Seamer Ben Cliff then removed opener Graham Clark, with Jordan Thompson and Chohan further dismantling Durham’s lineup.

Durham faced additional setbacks as Dutch players Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann were both bowled, leaving the team struggling at 40 for 5 in the eighth over. Raine and Australian Ashton Turner provided some resistance with a 56-run partnership for the seventh wicket. However, their efforts were short-lived as Durham lost four wickets for one run within five balls in the 14th and 15th overs, collapsing to 97 for 9.

Bess, finishing with 2 for 26, caught and bowled Turner. Chohan then trapped Raine lbw and had Ben Dwarshuis caught behind, completing a team hat-trick. In the next over, Chohan bowled Michael Jones and wrapped up the innings with Nathan Sowter’s stumping by Donovan Ferreira. This performance marked Chohan’s 21st career appearance and Yorkshire’s third-best figure in Blast history.

Durham, who had started the competition with dismal scores of 75 and 101, managed to climb into quarter-final contention but were bowled out for 140 against Northampton on Sunday before struggling again here. With only three games left, their batting woes could jeopardise their quarter-final hopes.

Yorkshire’s chase was straightforward, allowing them to improve their net run rate significantly. Openers Lyth and Dawid Malan built a solid 64-run partnership in nine overs. Although Lyth was caught and bowled by Sowter and Malan caught at midwicket off de Leede’s seam for 29, the target was never in doubt. Dwarshuis later dismissed James Wharton, but these were mere consolation wickets.